Wife Refuses to Spend Holiday at Husband's Parents’ Home

19-8-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

Does my wife have the right to refuse to spend some of our holiday in the Middle East at my parent's house because my younger brother got married and still lives with his parents? Previously he had been married to my wife's oldest sister who died last year and left two children. Please help.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If you order your wife to spend the whole holiday or some of it with your parents, then it becomes compulsory upon her to obey you. However, if there is any harm to her, or fear of indulging in prohibitions such as the possibility of encountering her male in-laws or living alone with them etc., or sharing with them the house common facilities, such as toilet, bathroom, etc, then this could lead to some prohibitions.

In this case, she has the right to refuse to live in such a house, even if it is recommended for her to do so, as part of her obedience to Allah.

Allah knows best.